This disclosure relates generally to formatting image data to another aspect ratio and, more particularly, to formatting such image data by adding contextual matte bars.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Electronic displays of various aspect ratios appear in computers, handheld devices, televisions, and many other electronic devices. Popular tablet computing devices, for example, may use displays with aspect ratios of 4:3, while televisions may use displays with aspect ratios of 16:9. To display image data of a first aspect ratio on an electronic display of a second aspect ratio, black matte bars are typically added to the top and bottom or the sides of the image data to accommodate the change in aspect ratio. For example, image data with a 4:3 aspect ratio that is being sent to a display with a 16:9 aspect ratio may have black matte bars added on the left and right sides of the 4:3—size image data. On the other hand, image data with a 16:9 aspect ratio that is being sent to a display with a 4:3 aspect ratio may have black matte bars added on the upper and lower sides of the 16:9—size image data.
Such black matte bars may not always be visually appealing. Indeed, black matte bars may appear inappropriate in some contexts. For example, different electronic displays may be housed in devices of different colors or styles. The devices may be operated in different ambient conditions. Even so, reformatted image data displayed on such devices often includes the same black matte bars without regard to the context in which the image data is viewed.